Library - Magazine Articles by Lou Sassi

Build for The Long Haul

Model Railroader 2006-07 pg. 72     Scale: HO     Category: "Layouts - HO - Large"

The 19 by 33 foot Moose River Valley RR by Peter Eaton features a lot of switching, with three yards and many industries. The layout lasted 30 years, and was torn down in 2001, so that Peter could focus on building has large scale garden layout.

How To Make Better Scenery

Model Railroader 2005-11 pg. 46     Scale: HO     Category: "Scenery"

The article describes how the author creates a scenic base using Woodland Scenics' foam sheets, then covers it with "ground goop" (a mixture of Celluclay, Vermiculite, flat latex paint, and white glue). The photo essay continues with ground cover, planting trees made from Peppergrass, and finishes with two scenes of a suburban front yard and static-flock grass along the track side.

It's a Styrofoam Sky!

Model Railroader 1991-03 pg. 131     Scale: (none)     Category: "Photography & Videography"

Using a piece of blue styrofoam insulation board as a quick-n-dirty sky background for photographing dioramas or models. Clouds are optional.

Ntrak Sets a World's Record

Model Railroader 1991-03 pg. 90     Scale: N     Category: "Modules"

On November 11, 1990 twelve Ntrak clubs got together and build a 21.3 scale mile H-shaped layout from 176 modules. Shows an overall photo and several modules.

Prototype Scenes, Freelanced Layout

Model Railroader 2006-08 pg. 42     Scale: HO     Category: "Layouts - HO - Large"

This 19' by 34' layout features the fictional merger of 5 eastern railroads set in eastern Pennsylvania in the late 1960's to early 1970's. The father and son team Bill and Steve Brown worked on this layout for over a decade.

Use Putty to Save On Coal Loads

Model Railroader 2010-12 pg. 75     Scale: On2-1/2     Category: "Freight Cars - Gondolas"

Simple coal loads that only use real coal as the top layer.

Where The East Broad Top Meets the Pennsy

Model Railroader 2010-04 pg. 52     Scale: HO     Category: "Layouts - HO - Large"

This 24' x 26' layout has a double-track Pennsy mainline around the perimeter of the layout and the narrow gauge EBT in the center island. Includes a sidebar on how Don Shook makes debris for the top of his steam engine's tenders.